Keep Your Medications Safe

Posted on : January 8th, 2015 |
By : towardsrecovery

Patients who are on a path to recovery from their opioid addictions need to safely store their medications. Even though most patients never have any problems with their medications being taken by other people, there are always the occasional instances where medication accidents occur.

Invest in a Medication Lock Box

If you are taking methadone and you have dosages at home, it is a good idea to purchase a medication safe. These can be purchased online or at specialty medical supply stores. They usually work with keys or with combination locks. If you purchase a lock box with a key, do not leave the key in the hole; store it in a safe place.

Children and Methadone Do Not Mix

There have been instances when children have actually taken methadone and other prescription medications by accident. Since many medications look like different types of candy, children will ingest them without thinking twice. When children accidentally ingest an adult’s methadone, the treatment programs that prescribe methadone get questioned about their safety and appropriateness. Along with the medication safes, there are other ways to keep medication protected and safe from harming others.

Take Your Meds as Prescribed

It is important to take the entire dose as prescribed. If you are instructed to take an entire dose at once, then you should not split the dose and save some for later. This can create a danger for you and for anyone else who might see the remaining dose. If you are worried about your dosage, it is best to talk to your doctor at Towards Recovery so it can be adjusted.

Stay Vigilant about Your Medications

Even if you do not have children living at home, it is still important to stay vigilant about protecting your medication. If you have family members who come to visit, they could bring children to your home. Storing your medication in a safe place is the only way to keep it safe from potential problems.

Clean Out or Hide the Empty Bottles

Since you drink your methadone, you should be sure to rinse the bottle before you dispose of it. The residual medication could end up in the wrong hands and even the residual in the bottle could be dangerous to a young child. If you are worried, you can lock up the empty bottles, too.

Take Your Medication in Private

When you take your medication, do not take it in front of your children. They do not need to know about your recovery, so you should take it in private. Your children do not need to play with the empty bottles or anything other accoutrements regarding your medications.

Keep Your Medication a Secret

You should not tell anyone what medications you are taking other than your doctors. People who are addicted to opioids might come to your home to steal your medication. If you notice that your medications are missing, it is appropriate to call the police because it will alert them that a potential overdose could happen. Since the medications are dispensed to you, it is best that you alert the police if they are stolen to show that you were not involved in any problems that result from the theft.

Be Prepared for Accidents

If you do find that a child or someone else in your home has taken your medication, you should immediately call 9-11. You never know what could happen to the child or other person. You might lose take-home privileges, but it is best to be sure that people are safe. It can be helpful to have naloxone at home. Naloxone is an anti-opioid medication. Even if you have it at home, you should still call 9-11 if accidental ingestion occurs.

If you have any questions about keeping your medications and your loved ones safe, please talk to your therapist at Towards Recovery.